Wheelchair curling mixed doubles made its Paralympic debut on March 4, 2026, at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, with four matches deciding the opening round-robin standings. The United States, China, Estonia, and Italy all secured victories in the inaugural event, held two days before the official opening ceremony. This new format marks the first competitive action of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.
The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games kicked off early with the debut of wheelchair curling mixed doubles, a discipline absent from prior Paralympics but building on the mixed team event's 20-year history since Torino 2006. Eight teams are competing in a round-robin format, with the top four advancing to semifinals on March 11.
In the opening session, the United States' Steve Emt and Laura Dwyer defeated Latvia's Agris Lasmans and Polina Rozkova 11-6 after a tied 6-6 through six ends. The Americans used a power play in the seventh to take a 7-6 lead and sealed the win in the eighth with precise draws and a missed double takeout by Latvia. Dwyer noted, "We did not play perfectly and that's what's pushing me to step up because the games are going to get harder." Emt added, "Laura and I are cut from the same cloth... We’re a little harsh with each other but that’s the way we want it."
China's Wang Meng and Yang Jinqiao dominated Japan 10-3 in seven ends, scoring four in the third to outmaneuver the reigning world champions. Yang said, "I adjusted myself quickly after making some mistakes in the first two ends. I told myself to stay calm and compete with stability." Wang added, "We communicated with each other well during the match, and we will strive to keep improving our performance."
Estonia's Ain Villau and Katlin Riidebach came from behind to beat Great Britain 10-7, stealing two in the final end despite a 7-7 tie after seven. Riidebach commented, "You focus on your stone and your teammate and that is it." Great Britain's Jo Butterfield, a breast cancer survivor, reflected, "It's not the result we wanted... We'll learn from it and there's a lot of curling left to do."
Hosts Italy's Paolo Ioriatti and Orietta Berto upset world number one South Korea 7-5. Ioriatti, 54 and a Paralympian after an 18-year wait, said, "I felt calm, thinking only about having fun." Berto added, "I personally played against the stones, not thinking about our opponents."
Current standings place USA, Estonia, China, and Italy at 1-0, with the others at 0-1. Action continues on March 5, with the United States facing Japan and Estonia.
